The Green Party gave its activists hints about how to win votes from BNP supporters, it has emerged.

They were told to encourage BNP supporters to go to the polling station, in the hope they would end up picking the Green candidate.

The advice was contained in a detailed document called “How to Win an Election”, written by Chris Williams, the party’s Regional Manager for Elections and a councillor in Solihull.

In a section on canvassing, the document invited activists to imagine they are in a seat where the Greens were challenging Labour, and explained how to respond if a voter said they backed the BNP or UKIP.

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The document said: “If they say BNP or UKIP, then do not tell them that there is no BNP or UKIP candidate (unless they are very anti-Green) but if they appear to be very anti-Labour, then we do want them to go to the polling station.

“When they get there, they will see no BNP or UKIP candidate and so may vote Green instead.”

Instead, activists were told to say: “Do you know you have 3 Labour Councillors in this area at the moment, which means they have the monopoly? [Candidate] has been working all year round - you have probably seen the newsletters – and so you may wish to consider voting for him in order to keep Labour out. It’s a two-horse race around here between Labour and [candidate].”

The Green Party are the official opposition in Solihull, with 11 councillors. Nationwide they have one MP and are led by Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley.

(Image: Getty Images)

The BNP currently has no elected representatives anywhere, though at one time it had more than 50 council seats nationwide.

It is a party which believes in putting “British” people and also argues that only ethnic white Europeans can be British.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “The document referred to is a now old guide to conversations on the doorsteps where we will encounter constituents from all political persuasions, who have voted in a variety of ways over the course of their voting lives.

“The Green Party will always listen to voters on the doorstep and will not make judgements about them based on their voting intentions past or present.

“We know that many people feel frustrated and disenfranchised by mainstream politics and have looked for an alternative.

“The Green Party offers a solution of hope, not hate, and we are proud to have taken seats from UKIP, erased the BNP in Solihull and to offer an anti establishment alternative that can challenge the politics of hate.

“Only by winning votes from the disenfranchised and changing the narrative can we defeat the far right, which the Green Party is helping to do.”

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The document also encouraged activists to use “behavioural psychology” if voters say they previously backed the Conservatives or the Lib Dems.

It suggests activists should say: “Many people who normally vote Conservative or Lib Dem are actually saying that they are going to back [candidate] this time in order to ensure that Labour do not get back in again.”

And it explained: “Note the behavioural psychology - the phrase implies very many other people are doing this so they would not be on their own if they changed their voting behaviour in this way. If they are asked to do it without suggesting many people are doing this, then they may be less inclined to vote tactically”.